


Unexpendable

by Nativestar



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-28
Updated: 2016-01-28
Packaged: 2018-05-16 22:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5842978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of the ransom drop.  Thursday has some wise words for Morse, but will he listen?  Set during Arcadia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unexpendable

_We’re too late._

All he could see was a dark mass on the ground behind the bench, but Thursday had seen enough bodies to know it wasn’t anything else.

“Morse!” He shouted, as he broke into a run whilst fumbling for his torch in his pocket.

“Dammit.” Jakes swore, as he did the same.

They’d been approaching carefully, using the moonlight to find the park bench but it had clearly been in vain. The drop had gone terribly wrong. Jakes got to Morse first, having youth and a whole set of lungs on his side. He put his fingers on the side of Morse’s neck and immediately dropped his head with a relieved sigh.

“He’s alive.” He called out.

But not okay.

Thursday slowed to a brisk walk, finishing the last few yards before kneeling in the damp grass by Morse’s side. Jakes stood, turning his attention to the tree line and the route Morse’s attacker (attackers?) could have taken.

“Morse,” Thursday said, giving his shoulder a short shake. “Morse!” But there was no response; he was out for the count.

Thursday turned his attention to checking him over for injuries. He couldn’t see any blood but it was hard to be sure in the torchlight. He tried to remember that first aid course he’d been sent on years ago, top to toe they’d said, starting with the head. Running his fingers over Morse’s scalp Thursday felt the beginnings of what would probably be a sizeable lump nestled beneath the hair on the back of Morse’s head.

“Clocked him good,” Thursday said as held his fingers up to the torchlight. “Not bleeding though.”

And as if he’d heard his cue, Morse groaned.

“Morse? Morse, can you hear me?”

“Ughh...” Thursday wasn’t sure if it was a failed attempt to speak or another groan.

“Morse!”

“Wha-”

That was better.

“They knocked you out and the bag’s gone. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Mmm,” said Morse as he tried to get his arms underneath him to roll over. Seeing what he was trying to do, Thursday helped him until he was sitting, hunched over his bent legs. He seemed steady enough but Thursday kept his hand up, floating behind Morse’s back, ready.

“No, I don’t think so.” Came his belated reply. Thursday nodded and then shared a look with Jakes.

“Right.” Jakes knew what to do and set off at a slightly gentler jog back to where they’d left the car. Reinforcements and a medic. They’d known making the ransom drop would be risky, so neither were waiting too far away. He turned back to Morse who had his head down, pinching his nose between his fingers.

“Think you can try standing?” He asked, wondering if it was wise to even entertain the idea of trusting Morse’s judgement on that.

“I can try.”

“Right then, lets get you sitting on the bench.”

He offered his arm for Morse to hold while he got his legs under him. Morse staggered a half step or two as he stood but regained his footing just as Thursday started to suspect he was going to go straight back down again.

“You good?”

“I’m good.” Morse said as he walked more confidently to the bench and sat right in the middle. He dropped his head almost immediately back into his hands, telling Thursday all he needed to know about the headache he was currently nursing.

Thursday sat down next to him and sighed, the cool air and a brisk run had reminded him that it wasn’t too long ago he’d been nursing his own injuries. He glanced at his watch. It was nearly dawn so at least it wouldn’t be long before the sun started warming things up, odds were it would be a while before he got the chance to go indoors again. He rested the torch on the bench between them, its beam lit up the moisture of the morning dew on the grass and casted strange shadows on their faces. Patiently, he waited. Morse would tell him when he felt recovered enough to answer questions.

A minute later Morse sniffed and raised his head, squinting into the grass.

“Jakes?”

“He’s gone back to the car, to radio the backup and get a medic.”

“I’m fine.”

“Then that’s what the medic will confirm.” Thursday said firmly. “Do you remember what happened? Can you tell us anything that might help?”

Morse shook his head once, and winced.

“He came up from behind, and it was too dark to see anything before I passed out.” He paused. “I can’t be sure, but I think it was only one person.”

Thursday nodded, adding the information to his mental case file.

“Well, you can’t have been out for too long, five minutes at the most. We’ll get the men out searching, see what we can find.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“Not your fault, Morse. And you know it.” Thursday turned to Morse. “We’ve had this conversation before, don’t go down that road.”

“Yes, sir.” Morse whispered and dropped his head back into his hands.

One helluva headache.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The stretcher was loaded into the bay of the ambulance as the crew prepared to take Verity away to the hospital and her relieved parents.

Morse and Jakes were a mess, covered in dust and grime and looking like they’d been pulled through a hedge backwards. They looked out of place with the uniformed police officers turning the place over. Thursday couldn’t be prouder of them. He planned to recommend Jakes for an award soon as this was all over, if Bright didn’t beat him to it.

They were both still coughing occasionally, but Morse couldn’t hide the wince each time he did. Now that the drama and adrenaline was fading, Thursday knew he had to feeling rough.

“You should go with her.” He suggested.

“You’re right,” Morse replied after a moment. “She may not have seen him but she might recall something that can help us identify him.”

“No, I mean you should go and get your head properly checked out. Make sure it didn’t knock anything lose.”

“I’m fine.” Morse insisted, exasperation creeping into his voice.

“You’re a broken record, is what you are.” Jakes chipped in.

Thursday fixed him with a stern look. He wasn’t sure if Jakes was ribbing Morse or if he was actually concerned about the man. The two of them had developed something of an odd friendship recently that Thursday didn’t even try to understand, but was grateful for it anyway, it made his life easier.

“The medic said nothing broken.”

Thursday looked around the scene. Everything was under control and there was very little that they could contribute at this point.

“Right then, if you’re not going to get checked out then you’re coming with me.” Thursday said to Morse. “Jakes, you alright to get a lift back with one of the uniforms?”

“Yes, sir.”

Morse fell into step next to Thursday without thought as they followed the path back through the trees to the car.

“Where are we going?” Morse asked.

“I’m taking you home.”

“Sir! I said—“

“Morse, we’re not going to be able to speak to her until this afternoon at the earliest. I’m taking you home so you can put your head down for a few hours and then _I’m_ going home to do the same.” Thursday looked at Morse. “We’re no good to anyone if we miss something important because we’re exhausted.”

Morse looked like he wanted to argue and even opened his mouth, a retort no doubt poised on the tip of his tongue but surprisingly in the end he said nothing.

Definitely feeling rough.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somehow Morse managed to drop off to sleep during the short journey to his flat. He didn’t wake when Fred stopped the car, nor when he got out. It was only when Fred opened the passenger door that he woke with a start.

It reminded Fred strongly of another time when he’d taken a concussed Morse home, having to steady him up the stairs and through the door. He could have left Morse there and said goodbye on the pavement, he was certainly steady enough to get down the stairs and inside by himself this time. But Fred found himself following him into the small flat. There was no Miss Hicks across the hallway this time around.

Surprisingly, Morse didn’t say anything about his unexpected visitor. Instead he sat down heavily in his armchair and closed his eyes against the morning sun that had managed to make its way into his basement flat.

“You got any painkillers around here?” Fred asked.

“Do spirits count?”

“Not last I checked.” Fred dug around in his pockets and pulled out a rattling bottle of pills. There were only a handful left and he quickly shook out one.

“Here, it’s a little stronger than the over the counter stuff. Won’t knock you out but it’ll get rid of that headache for a while.”

Morse took the tablet silently and made Fred wonder if maybe he should have been more insistent on the hospital visit.

“Thank you, sir.”

With a barely suppressed groan, Morse got up and turned his back on Thursday as he went to fill a glass and swallowed the pill. He then refilled the glass with something stronger and poured a second glass for Fred, who took it gratefully.

“Are you still troubled with pain, sir?” Morse asked.

Fred frowned in confusion; he wasn’t the one who probably had a mild concussion.

“The pills, it’s your prescription.” Morse explained.

“No, they’re leftovers I never got rid of. I’m cleared for duty, Morse. There’s no need for concern.”

“Good,” Morse said softly and finished his drink before turning to sit down on his bed. Looking down at his feet for a moment, he toed off his shoes instead of untying them and lay down without bothering about anything else.

“Probably be more comfortable if you changed.”

“Mmm, probably.” Morse agreed, with his eyes already closed. “But it’s only going to be a few hours so...”

Fred nodded.

He nursed his drink for a moment, studying the ripples as he swirled the liquid around the bottom of the cup. He realised the real reason he’d come in with Morse wasn’t to ensure that he wasn’t more concussed than he appeared but because of what Morse had said to him the day before in his office - had it really only been a day since this had all started? _‘_ Job for a single man,’ Morse had said. Did he really believe his life had less worth than Jakes’ life now that he was a father-to-be? Probably.

No. Definitely. It was Morse, after all. Fred didn’t much like that part of the job, deciding who got to risk their lives and who didn’t. But not as much as he hated seeing his men hurt. At least it was few and far between in the police force compared to the army, although Morse was really testing that. That needed to change.

“You’re not expendable, Morse.” He said quietly. “You may not have any dependents, but you do have people who depend on you. And people who care about you.”

Fred looked up, expecting a reply.

“Morse?”

He was asleep.

Hardly a surprise, but with a bit of luck, some of it might have registered and stuck in that overactive mind of his.

Fred walked over and tugged the other half of the blanket Morse was lying on until it covered most of him then, quietly, he closed the door behind him and went in search of his own sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this, I'd love feedback either way! This is unbetaed I'm afraid so please let me know of any errors so I can get them corrected. Thank you!


End file.
